Improvement in machines for finishing felt fabrics



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Patented Feb. 3.1874.

E. P-oLLAnn.

Mac'hine'sjifgr Finishing Feit Fabrics.

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rif/.leases 4 other set so as to feed the fabric to the heated to make and use my invention:

` heated by a gas or other flame. The middle one f The other set of rolls, E F, are plain.

`is made to revolve by any suitable power, and

NITED STATES PATENT 'FFIon JAMES E. IOLLARD, OF NORFOLK, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FOR FINISHING FELT FABRICS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 147,167, dated February 3, 1874; application filed September 23, 1873.

To all whom 'it may concern.:

Be it known that I, JAMES E. FOLLARD, of Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Finishing of Felt F. bries; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view, and Fig. 2 a side elevation.

The object of this invention is to finish felt cloth by passing it through highly-heated calender-rolls, so as to compact and harden the fibers, complete the felting process7 give a finished surface to the felt, and impress upon it figures, so as to resemble a woven fabric, and, in certain cases, to cause the cloth to resemble a quilted fabric. The invention consists of a frame, upon which is mounted two sets of rolls, the one set made of hollow cylinders of iron or other metal, so as to be highly heated, and the rolls. One of the feed-rolls is madeto vibrate upon the surface of the other, so as to give a jerking motion to the cloth, as hereinafter described.

The following description will enable others In the drawing, A A is the frame, on which is mounted the several parts of the machine. In this frame are two sets of cylinders or rolls. The first set, B C D, are hollow, so as to be of cylinders, C, is grooved or engraved with any suitable design, as hereinafter explained. One of them, F, is made to vibrate as it revolves, deices for this purpose being shown, consisting of drum H, with a cani-groove, Il., on its surface, in which works one of the pins c c upon the vibrating'lever m. The lever m is .fastened to the frame, as shown. The upper pin o works in the groove s upon the end of feedroller F. The roller F is made to receive motion from wheel R, which is fixed upon the saine axis as hollow cylinder D. The drum H with a variable velocity, as required. Both sets of rolls are mounted so as to give some up-and-down play, so as to produce a yielding pressure to the fabric as it goes through, which may be increased or diminished by means of set-screws. Friction -wheels a a are placed upon the cross-heads, so as to relieve the friction of the hollow rolls B and D. Steel, rubber, or other springs t t are placed between the cross-heads and the frame, the tension of these being regulated by means of set-screws, so as to give any amount of pressure required. It is necessary that the rolls B, O, I and D should be very heavy and strong, so as to bring great pressure and heat to act upon the felt, which constitutes an important feature of my invention.

The operation is as follows: The hollow cylinders B C D are brought to a high temperature, say from 2500 to 2750 Fahrenheit, or about the temperature usually given to a iiatiron, goose, or calender for surfacing cloth. The higher the temperature the better, so it is not so high as to injure the fibers of thefelt. For heating, I prefer a jet of gas and blast of air passing through or within the hollow cylinders. The fabric WV, in a moist or damp condition, is passed between the calenders (l and D, around C, and between the calenders B and C, through which it is fed by the feedrolls or spreaders E and F.

To makefelt resemble a quilted fabric, the roller F is made to vibrate as the cloth passes between the feed-rolls. This gives a jerking' motion to the cloth as it passes between the hot rolls. Those parts of the fabric which are grasped between the raised portions of roll C and the roll D are so rmly held that they are not disturbed by the jerking motion, and so have a smooth nish; but those portions which are between the sunken portions of roll C and roll D are wrenched, so as to loosen them up and give a puffy or quilted look to the fabric. The disturbed portions contrast in shade of color with the smooth portions, so as to give a fine effect to the finish. This method of producing an imitation of quilted fabric from felt, by giving a vibrating or jerking motion to the fabric as it passes between highly-heated calender-rolls, constitutes the main feature of my invention.

I have described the best apparatus and process for carrying out the several parts of my invention with which I am acquainted; but I do not limit myself to the exact devices, as some others may be substituted for certain parts at will, especially in the gearing, the frame, the mode of heating, and in the devices for giving a vibrating motion to the feed-roll F. By throwing the vibrating mechanism out of gear, the feed-rolls will feed the felt at anyT required speed to the engraved calender, around which the felt passes. rIhis keeps the felt for a long time in contact with the heated metal; and, as the felt is moist or damp, it is solidified and highly finished at the places that are clamped between the heated rolls. The other parts of the felt-that is, such as are over the depressions in the middle roll-remain loose .and more or less spongy, and hence seem to invention, the high pressure and the high temperature of the rolls, the operation of the deeply-engraved calender, and the vibrating motion of the feed-roll, a marked and distinct character is imparted to the felt, so as to clearly distinguish felt which has been subjected to the operation of my machine from that to which it has not been applied.

It is obvious that, While a gang of three or more rolls is desirable, because of the extent of surface contact afforded, two rolls only are essential to the carrying out of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. The improved machine herein described for finishing felt cloth, consisting of a frame, A, hollow calender-rolls B and D, grooved roll G, and feed-rolls E and F.

2. In a machine for finishing felt cloth, the feed-roll E, combined with the vibrating feedroll F, substantially as and for the purpose'described.

3. In combination with two or more hollow rolls, one or more having grooved or Adeeplyengraved surfaces, the felt-'roll E, and vibrat ing roll F, substantially as set forth.

et. The combination of the hollow cylinders B G D with frame A, and cross-heads provided with frictionrolls a a and springs tt, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

JAMES E. POLLARI). Witnesses ALFRED RODMAN, EDWARD F. XVILDER. 

